Film-treating device



May 17, 1938. SOMAN 2,117,828

FILM TREAT ING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I4 ,24 34INVENTOR.

Sim

May 17, 1938. 1.. SOMAN FILM TREATING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1935 3Sheets-Sheet 2 5 \& LJ i a Wm WW A I NVENTOR.

May '17, 1938. L. SOMAN FILM TREATING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1955 5Sheets-Sheet f5 Patented May '17, 1938 v mill-TREATING DEVICE LesterSomali, New York, N. Y., assignor to Film- Treatiaor Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 11,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to film-treating devices which are adapted to beemployed in association with motion picture projection machines andrefers particularly to such devices as are adapted to 5 clean thetraveling film while applying a cleansing,'preserving and fireproofingliquid dressing to both sides of the film immediately adjacent to andpreceding the film intake feed 01' the projector.

In accordance with my invention, all parts and 10 elements of thecomplete device as a whole'constitute a coordinated assemblage which inits entirety is mounted directly upon the usual top platform plate ofthe casing of the projection machine so as to form in efiect afunctioning part 15 of the projector.

My present invention includes: a removable carrier for the film-guidingrollers; a special form of inclined bearings which automatically causethe guide rollers to be pressed against the m interposed film; amounting arm for the liquid container mounted upon the projectionmachine; a spacer'memher through the intermediary 01' which the upperreel-containing film magazine is supported in suitable relation to otherparts or u my device; a liquid container or supply tank adapted toretain a reserve supply of the treating liquid subject to the demands oian automatic fire extinguisher embodied in my device: specialdistributing valve means in control of the treating liquid; and specialmeans adapted to separate the opposed cleaning pads without disturbingtheir adjustment.

The device of my invention also includes various features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be evident from thefollowing particular description and appended claim.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich similar parts are designated by similar numerals.

Figure 1 is a broken side elevation showing one form of the device of myinvention as mounted upon the top of the casing of a motion pictureprojecton- Figure 2 is a broken horizontal section on the line 2-2 ofFigure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken vertical section on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2. 1

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view, partly in horizontal section, of thefilm-treating part of the device. 1

Figure 5 Ba side elevation of the same.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line H' of Figure 4.

figure 7 is a transverse vertical section on the line 1-] oi Figure 4.

1935, Serial No. 15,773

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the removed roller carrier, as viewed insection in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectlomon the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

It is well known to projectionists and others versed in the practice ofthe art that a soiled film will result in dlmness and lightingirregularities, such as spots and streaks, in the picture on the screen,as well as also disconcerting disturbances in the reproduced sound froma record carried by the film. v

Furthermore, as a soiled film enters the pro jector head gate, some ofthe grease and dirt will be wiped off, where it will accumulate andharden around the gate entrance, until the entering film is subjected toso much friction as to cause it to break.

It has been found by experience that the only way to assure a clean filmin the projector is to cleanse it thoroughly immediately before itreaches the projector intake feed as it travels thereto. were the filmto be cleaned at its takeoil from the projector head, then it wouldaccumulate oil and dirt prior to its projection, such' as in rewinding,inspecting, cutting and splicing. in Similar objectionable results wouldfollow from cleaning the film at some remote point, such as upon arewinding bench.

It has also been found that the film can be most easily and thoroughlycleaned by wiping it between relatively soft absorbent pads moistenedwith a suitable liquid, and that the latter can be of a nature which atthe same time will render the film more. pliable and stronger, whilealso rendering it less, liable to ignition, when thus applied to thefilm at the projector intake.

A projection machine, irrespective of my invention, commonly has acradle mounted upon the top plate of 'itsicasing 'just 'beneaththe upperfilm magazine. Asthe film is drawn from a reel in this magazine'fby thecontinuously rotated intake sprocket of the projector, it passes betweenguide rollers journaled in the cradle. Thence, the film forms anupwardly directed loop, irom which 'the film is taken directly by theintermittent feed of the projector.

The partially illustrated projector, many elements and parts of whichare not shown, has a commonly employed form of intake feed sprocket ll,intermittent feed sprocket l2, lamp house l3, fiat top plate or platformIt, magazine-supporting bracket l5, and upper film-containing magazineit, from which the film I1 is continuously drawn by the intake sprocket,Petween the u liquid-applying cleaning pads embodied in thefilm-treating device of my invention.

In carrying out my invention,1 employ a cradle l5 which is in generalsimilar to the mentioned usual cradle. It similarly has three aperturesIS, I9, I!) in its base or bottom portion by which it is adapted to besimilarly secured upon the projector platform plate l4, without thenecessity of drilling any new screw holes in the latter for the usualattaching screws. This cradle It; is of somewhat greater height than theusual cradle, in order to provide adequate space for the clean= ing andfire extinguishing elements of my device.

Because of the mentioned height of the cradle iii, a spacer block isinterposed between the platform plate Hi and the foot flange of themagazine-carrying bracket 85. A tank-carryin arm 2| has a fiangedattaching end abutteol upon the top of the foot flange of the bracketE5. The bracket l5 and the arm 2i are fixedly secured in place by meansof bolts 22 and 23 which at their lower ends screw into the usualinternally formed bosses 24-24 of the platform plate l t, in the samemanner as the bolts which have been commonly used for securing the brcket l5 directly to the top plate Id of the proje tor, so that thus nonew bolt holes or other changes in this top plate are required. q

The tank-supporting arm 2| extends rearwardly at an upward inclinationand is capable of being swung on the bolt 22 and clamped thereby atdifferent positions of lateral adjustment. The elevated end of the arm2| carries a tank adapted to contain a supply of suitable liquid havingcleansing, preserving, fire resisting and fire extinguishing properties,as to the film.

This tank has a bottom 25, an upright transparent body 26, and a cover21 indicated as secured to the bottom 25 by means of a tie rod 28, thetop 21 having a filling opening closed by a plug 29 carrying a dependingring 30 toprevent its loss.

Thetank bottom 25 has a lug 3| by means of which and a pair of similarbolts 32--32 the tank is mounted upon the rear end of the arm 2|. Thesebolts are parallel, horizontal and extend transversely to the arm 2|.One of these bolts forms a pivot for the tank on the arm 2|, while theother passes through a slot 33 shown as formed in the arm 2|. Thisarrangement enables the tank to be pivotally adjusted so as to maintainit in an operative upright position with the projection machine tiltedto a greater or less extent forwardly and downwardly as usual.

A fire plug 34 is carried by and opens upwardly through the forwardmargin of the tank bottom 25 closely adjacent to the body 26. This plug34 forms a connector nipple from which a flexible tube 35 leadsdownwardly and forwardly to a fire extinguishing nozzle carried by thecradle |8, as will be noted later. It will be noted that the tank can becompletely drained of liquid through the connector plug 34.

The tank bottom 25 carries another connector plug 36, shown as disposedat its rear margin and having a tubular inner extension 31 rising to asuitable desired height above the bottom 25. This plug 36 is a serviceoutlet for liquid to be applied to the film. A flexible tube 38connected thereto leads downwardly and forwardly and is connected to adistributing valve element carried by the cradle I8 and to be describedlater.

It is to be noted that liquid cannot run out of the tank through theplug 36 after the level of such liquid has descended to the top of theextension tube 31. Thus an emergency supply of the liquid, available foruse for fire extinguishing purposes, will always be otherwise retainedwithin the tank. This is indicated by a line 39, which desirablyencircles 'the transparent tank body 26, for convenient observation ,ofthe amount of liquid available for film-treating purposes.

A fire extinguishing chamber 40 is formed in the rear and lower portionof the cradle |8. This chamber is open only at the bottom, as will beclear from Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 taken together, and contains the upperportion of an upwardly directed loose loop of the film ll, as indicatedin Figures 1 and 6.

The lower and forward end of the fire extineuisher tube 35 carries aconnector M by means of which it is attached to the outer end of a fireextinguishing nozzle d2 which extends forwardly through the rear endwall of the cradle it into the upper portion of the fire extinguishingchamber ill, where it is shown as removably retained in place by meansof a cotter pin Q3.

The extinguisher nozzle 42 may be of any known or other suitableinternal construction. Suffice it to state that'this nozzle contains atemperature-controlled valve mechanism adapted. upon a predeterminedrise in temperature, to cause the fire extinguishing liquid to bedischarged through a plurality of nozzle openings 44-44. The inner endportion of the nozzle 42 is shown as carrying a heat-sensitive element45 which is in control of the mentioned valve mechanism. This elementcan be highly combustible, or readily fusible, or of other suitabletemperature-responsive nature.

Should the film become'ignited at the projector head, the fire will beextinguished while it is small and prevented from spreading to the filmwithin the magazine It. In order to assure the quick development ofsufficient heat to cause the operation of theme nozzle 42, a ventilatingopening 46 is provided for the fire chamber 40.

The lower and forward end of the tube 38 for the film-treating liquidcarries a connector 41 by means of which it is attached to a valve body48 having a turn-cock valve plug 48 provided witha handle 50 by means ofwhich the supply of treating liquid can be quickly and convenientlyturned on or shut off.

The valve body 48 is fixedly carried by and shown as extending into adistributing valve body block 5| which is shown as detachably mountedupon the upper portion of the rear end of the cradle l8 by means of apair of similar bolts 52-52. The valve body member 5| has therein acentral passage 53 in communication outwardly with the turncock valvebody 48 and closed at its inner end. A pair of smaller similar branchpassages 54-54 lead angularly outward laterally from the inner endportion of the main passage 53.

A pair of similar needle valves adjustably control the fiow of liquidthrough the respective branch passages 54--54. For each of the needlevalve constructions, a tubular valve casing 55 is fixedly carried by andextends into the main valve body 5|, with its bore 56 in communicationwith a branch passage 54.

The inner end portion of the casing 55 is reduced to form a smallannular chamber 51 within the body 5|, into which small passages 58-54through the shell 55 lead from its bore 56. A downward outlet from theannular chamber 51 is formed -by means of a drip nipple 59. Flow ofliquid through the valve shell 55 can be conveniently adjustablyregulated by means of a needleyalve stem 66 and provided with a fingerpiece 6|.

Thus the supp y of treating liquid can be controlled by means of thevalve plug 66 while preserving the adjustment of the needle valve stems66-66.

A bottom piece 'drawn upwardly main valve body Si by means of a screwbolt 66. This bottom piece 62 clamps in place and forms bottoms for apair of similar small upright glass 62 is secured to and may besight-feed cylinders 6446, with their upper ends abutting the lower faceof the valve body 6! and surrounding the drip nipples 69-66.

Outlet bores 66-65 lead forwardly from the bottoms of the cylinders66-66 respectively to the outside of the front of the bottom piece 62.

connectors 66-66 respectively connect the rear ends of small servicetubes'6'l and 66 to the front of the sight-feed bottom piece 62 incommunication with its bores 65-66.

These tubes 61 and 66 extend toward the forward-end of the cradle l6within its uppe portion. These tubes are of difi'erent lengths, the tube61, adjacent the near sid f the cradle 16, being shorter than the tube 6which is adjacent the far side of the cradle 16. These tubes have opendischarge ends turned inwardly and downwardly and serve to deliver thetreating liquid at desired points, as described later. The longer tube66 rests in a notched recess 69 in the inner side of the upper edge ofthe adjacent side wall of the cradle l6 and is held in place by means ofan eye Ill carried by this wall.

The traveling film IT, as it is drawn from the I magazine i6 by thecontinuously rotated projector the back of the upper stationary padholder 16 the passageway I6 at about a intake sprocket ll, passesdownwardly between and in wiping contact with a pair of opposed similarabsorbent pads II and 12 which are disposed within the cradle l6. Thesepads are kept moistened by the film-treating liquid, which they apply toand at the same time clean the film ll. Also fire in the film cannotpass them, should it ever reach that point.

The pad H is seated in a recess or pocket in a cradle l6. The pad holderI3 has through it an upwardly open funnel-shaped e 16 which terminatesdownwardly and forwardly against portion of the pad II. This passagewayI6 extends laterally from side to side of the pad holder 16, as isevident from Figures 4 and 6. The shorter liquid-conveying tube 61discharges into the flaring upper end of.

middle point transversely of the cradle l6.

The other pad 12 is similarly carried by a movably mounted pad holder 16having a substantially similar funnel-shaped passageway 16 terminatingagainst the upper portion of the back of this pad I! and into which thelonger liquid-conveying tube 66 is adapted'to discharge.

In the particular illustrated form of my device, the movable pad carrieror holder 16 is rigidly fixed upon the inner or rear ends of stifi rodsor stem II and I6 which are supported in and slidably extend throughsimilar bearing bomes 16 and 66 provided upon the front end of thecradle i6. Within the cradle l6, the 11 and I6 carry similar which actbetween thefo cradle l6 and the movable pad its pad 16 against the filmagainst the backing Pad II.

end wall of the carrier 16 to press l1 and the latter threaded into itsbore 56 'thepads'll toward the lower face of the.

outer side of the front end wall shown as bolted to theThestem'lliashownasdisposed adjacentthe remote side of the cradle i6 andthe stem I6 adjacent its near side. The latter stem is longer andoutwardly of its bearing 66 carries an adjusting nut 66, by means 01'.which the pressure of and 12 upon the interposed film II can beregulated. Adjustment means of a jam nut 66 for the adjusting nut 62,Both of these nuts 62 and 63 are shown as being similar fiat fingernuts. The other stem 11 is shown as having an outer head 66.

By reason of the stems l1 and I6 being freely slidable through theirsupporting bearings 16 and 66, it is evident that the pad 11 carried bythe pad holder can be freely drawn away from the film l'l against theforce of the springs 6i--6|, without disturbing the adjustment of thenut 62. This of course not only removes the pressure of both pads H and12 upon the film I! but provides an open space between these pads. Ifdesired the pad holder I5 can be thus moved until its flared upperportion abuts against the forward end wall of the cradle iii.

In carrying out my invention, means are provided adapted to maintain themovable pad holder I5, together with the pad 12 carried thereby, at asuitable withdrawn nonoperative position, and providing conveniently forits quick return to its operative position, as shown in the drawings.This provides for readily inserting, or adjusting, or removing the film11.

The illustrated device has, in the near side wall of its cradle l6 alarge opening 65 opposite to the pads ll-I2 and their holders 13 and 15.This opening extends to the forward end of the cradle and down to thebottom below the holders l6 and 15. The portion of the cradle wall abovethe- .opening 65 is provided with a film slit 65A. A door 66 for theopening 65 is hinged upon vertically aligned pintles 81 and 66, carriedupon the of the cradle i6. more closely adjacent to the near side of thecradle than the nearby slidable stem 16.

At its hinged end, the door 66 has fixed thereon an outwardly angledprojecting finger 66 which extends beyond the hinge pivots 61 and 66.The finger 66 forms a pivotally swinging catch or detent adapted, duringthe terminal part of the opening movement of the door 66, to be swungthereby into the return path of the adjusting nut 62, at. the backthereof, after the pad holder 15 has been drawn a predetermined distancetoward this end of the cradle i6, such as by means of the stems I1 and16. The pad holder can be set free merely by' a closing movement of thedoor 66, which frees the holding catch 66 from the nut 62. Thus it willbe seen that the door 66 forms an operating handle for the catch 66. Itis evident that the catch 69 could be of a difierent form and that ifdesired it could have a different handle, independently of the door.

is maintained by the cradle I8, is guided to the pads 1| and 12 by apair of opposed similar upper rollers 92 and 93 just above the padholders 13 and 15, and is guided away from the pads by a similar pair ofopposed lower rollers 94 and 95 which are disposed just beneath the padholders. These guide rollers carryremovable studs 96-96 by means ofwhich they are mounted in a roller carrier 91, shown as being in theform of a skeleton-like frame.

One of the upper rollers and one of the lower rollers, shown as therollers 93 and 95, at the right of the film I1 in Figures 4 and 6, havetheir studs 96-46 journaled in bearing slots 98--98 whichincline'downwardly and inwardly toward the opposed rollers 92 and 94,thereby causing the downwardly drawn traveling film 11 to draw theopposed guide rollers together upon it, as well as also providing foreasier insertion and removal of the film.

The roller carrier 91 is mounted within the cradle l8 for quick and easyremoval and: replacement, together with the rollers carried thereby,thereby greatly facilitating the cleaning or repairing of the device.

The stationary pad holder 13 is provided with similar upper and lowerguide grooves 99-99 forming a horizontal transverse slideway. The rollercarrier 91 has opposed upper and lower edges IOU-I00 respectivelyslidably fitting into thelgrooves 99-49. The roller carrier 91 is shownin Figure 6 as extended slightly below the bottom of the cradle I8,through a bottom opening ill, where it is further slidably guided.

The near outer end of the roller-carrying frame 91 is provided with alarge opening I02 through which the pads 1i and 12 may be inspected orremoved, without removing the roller carrier 91 from the cradle l8, ifso desired. Vertical slits l03-l03 for the removal of the film l1 areprovided above and below the opening I02.

When the roller carrier 91 is to be removed from the cradle l8, it issimply slid out through the cradle opening 85, after the movable padcarrier 15 has been latched at retracted position, by the catch 89, withthe door 86 open, as described.

Commonly more or less similarly disposed filmguiding rollers areinaccessible. Such rollers become jammed with dirt and film flakes tosuch an extent as to render them practically inoperative, and eventuallynon-rotatable. It is evident that the described roller carrier 91provides for easily keeping the rollers carried thereby in a clean andfreely operable condition. This is a valuable attribute of the device ofmy invention.

It is believed that the operation and manner of use of the device havebeen already fully described.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructionshown in the drawings and above particularly described, within theprinciple and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I do not specifically limit myself to materials, size, shape, particulararrangement and relationship of parts and elements, or minor details ofconstruction and design which may be readily varied, these being givensimply as a means for clearly describingthe device of my invention.

What I claim is:-

In a film-treating device, in combination, a cradle through which thefilm is adapted to be drawn downwardly, upper and lower pairs of opposedfilm-guiding rollers, a roller carrier in which said rollers are mountedwith their axes parallel, a slideway fixedly extending transverselywithin said cradle parallel with the axes of said rollers for slidablyguiding said roller carrier for free sliding movement endwise of saidrollers laterally into and out of said cradle, opposed pad holderscarried by said cradle therein at opposite sides of the film and adaptedto extend respectively between upper and lower rollers of said pairs,and a pair of opposed film-treating pads respectively removably carriedby each of said pad holders, the near outer end of said roller carrierbeing provided with an opening for the removal of said pads through saidopening while said roller carrier is mounted within said cradle and theremote inner end of said carrier being formed to provide clearance forthe removal of said roller carrier while said pads are carried withinsaid cradle by said pad holders;

LESTER SOMAN.

